A review of "Information or Inspiration? Japanese Aesthetics to Enjoy With Left Side and Right Side of the Brain" at the Suntory Museum of Art almost needs a spoiler alert. The exhibition includes many surprises that make it more than a showcase of Japanese glassware, lacquerware, enamel, ceramic and calligraphy works. It's an immersive, thought-provoking experience.
Curated and installed by the design unit Nendo, the unusual display of 27 of the museum's 15th- to 19th-century objects is an example of a growing number of refreshingly original approaches to exhibition presentation. There are two parallel viewing routes for the same exhibits: "Information," a conventional display, complete with informative panels; and "Inspiration," a sparsely annotated, visually abstract spectacle. Separated by a wall of curtains, the routes can only be followed independently, leaving visitors to choose which to take first or, if they prefer, which to skip completely.
It's "Inspiration" that really delivers the design creativity for which Nendo is renowned. Specific decorative motifs, forms and colors of the works are spotlighted through the use of unexpected viewing angles, deliberate obscuration, inventive lighting and tactile installations. There's even, at one point, olfactory stimulation. All this is displayed in a darkened setting that, like the lack of explanatory notes, piques the curiosity and sparks the imagination.